Egg-shaped container

ABSTRACT

An egg-shaped container is provided for packaging cosmetics and the like, the container having an upper half portion removably attached to a lower half portion. The lower half portion has an inside surface which includes a generally centralized flat portion, or a generally centralized slanted portion, both of which are formed such that the container will retain an upright position during display or storage.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an egg-shaped container for packaging a variety of products such as cosmetics and the like. In one aspect, the egg-shaped container of the present invention has a level (flat) bottom, and in another invention the container has a slanted bottom which can nevertheless support the container in stable position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Egg-shaped containers have been used for packaging various products such as cosmetics and the like, and for display of the packaged products. One such container is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,379, issued to Hermann Kappler. The egg-shaped contained described therein is hollow and is formed of two parts fitted together along a seam about the widest diameter of the container and is disposed partially within a cylinder, with the seam being surrounded by the container.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,444, issued to Cecil F. Adickes describes an egg-shaped toy article having a base in which a weight is located in order to insure that the egg-shaped article will always return to an upright position.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,736 issued to Richard L. Bell and Richard T. Walker describes a tamper proof display package having a generally spheroidal shaped article.

Publication No. U.S. 2002/0033397 A1, dated Mar. 21, 2002 describes an apparatus which allows a user to place an Easter egg in an upright position. In order to maintain the egg in a stable upright position, a weight is placed in the lower half portion as shown in the single FIGURE of that publication.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An egg-shaped container formed of an upper half portion which is removably attached to the lower half portion. The bottom of the lower half portion has an outer surface and an inside surface. The inside surface of the bottom portion has a flat generally centralized section or, in a different embodiment of the invention, has a generally centralized slanted portion. In both embodiments, when the egg-shaped container is placed in an upright position it will retain such position during storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings wherein the like reference numerals are used to designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an egg-shaped container according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front side elevational view of the container shown in FIG. 1 having a flat bottom portion;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the container shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an egg-shaped container according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front side elevational view of the container shown in FIG. 4 having a slanted bottom portion;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the container shown in FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is an exploded, partly perspective view of the egg-shaped container shown as FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7 which describe one embodiment of the invention, the egg-shaped container is generally designated as 11 and comprises an upper half portion 13 and a lower half portion 15. The top of the lower half portion 15 is circumferentially recessed to define an edge 17, which may be threaded as in 19. Thus, the top portion 13 is removably attached to the edge 17 to form the egg-shaped container 11.

The top and bottom portions of the egg-shaped container are made of a suitable plastic such as but not limited to polypropylene, high impact polystyrene and polyethylene, and are formed by molding. During molding or forming the lower half 15, a portion of its inside bottom surface is so formed as to define a flat or level portion 21 such that when the egg is placed in an upright position it will remain in stable position. The flat portion 21 need only be of such dimensions as to insure that the egg-shaped container will remain in stable upright position when the container is placed on a display shelf or in storage.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate an egg-shaped container as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7, the only difference being is that the bottom of the lower half of the egg-shaped container is slanted without destabilizing the container when it is on display or placed in storage. Thus referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the egg-shaped container 111 comprises the upper half portion 113 and the lower half portion 115, with the two half portions 113 and 115 removably attached to each other as in the prior embodiment. The inside surface of the bottom of the lower half portion 115 is formed to have a slanted portion 117 located generally centrally on the inside surface of the bottom portion. The degree of slanting and the dimensions of the slanted portion are so selected as to assure that the container will retain a stable position while slightly tilted to one side because of the slanted bottom portion. This configuration permits more informational materials to be printed on one side of the container when the container is on display.

The egg-shaped container may be made in a variety of sizes and colors and used to package cosmetic products, putties or other articles by simply removing the top portion, placing the product within the container and closing the container for display. 

1. An egg-shaped container comprising: (a) an upper half portion and a lower half portion, said upper half portion being removably attached to said lower half portion, (b) said lower half portion having a bottom with an inside surface and a flat portion formed generally centrally in said inside surface.
 2. An egg-shaped container as in claim 1 wherein said upper half portion is removably attached to said lower half portion.
 3. An egg-shaped container as in claim 2 wherein said lower half has an upper circumferential recessed edge onto which said upper half portion is removably attached.
 4. An egg-shaped container comprising: (a) an upper half portion and a lower half portion, said upper half portion being removable attached to said lower half portion, (b) said lower half portion having a bottom with an inside surface and a slanted portion formed generally centrally in said inside surface.
 5. An egg-shaped container as in claim 4 wherein said upper half portion is removably attached to said lower half portion.
 6. An egg-shaped container as in claim 4 wherein said lower half has an upper circumferential recessed edge onto which said upper half portion is removably attached. 